Poison Centers Nationwide

What Does a Poison Center Do?

Every day of the year, 24 hours a day, the nation’s 55 poison centers help with poisoning emergencies and provide information to help prevent poisonings. Specially trained poison experts at these centers – nurses, pharmacists, and doctors – can be reached by calling the toll-free Poison Help line (1-800-222-1222), which connects you to your local poison center.

Poison centers provide:

Help with a poisoning emergency, which can often be solved over the phone rather than calling 911 or visiting the emergency room

Real-time data collection that aids in detecting public health emergencies

Free and confidential help, with interpretation services available in 161 languages. Service is available throughout the entire United States and many territories.

The nation’s poison centers are locally operated and funded through a combination of state and private sources, as well as congressionally mandated federal funds.1 They are often supported by a hospital or university.